The present invention relates to an optical scanning type tunneling microscope used to optically observe a very small (fine) structure of a sample surface, and also to a measuring apparatus for performing a characteristic measurement of an optical element.
As to the scanning type tunneling microscope, various patent applications have been filed in Japan, e.g., JP-A-4-77605 (1992) and JP-A-4-162340 (1992).
Further, the optical scanning type tunneling microscope is described in the publication "OPTICS" (page 780) vol. 21, No. 11, November 1992 issued from Japanese Optics Institute, and the publication "APPLIED PHYSICS" (page 612) vol. 61, issued in 1992 from Japanese Applied Physics Institute.
As is known in the art, the optical scanning type tunneling microscopes may function as a means capable of optically observing light picked up or extracted from a very small region. However, these conventional optical scanning type tunneling microscopes could measure only intensity or strengths of light, and a shape of the very small region, but could not measure a phase of light and length of an optical path.
Moreover, no means for measuring a phase of light propagated through an optical waveguide path has been developed.